Most surfing injuries are preventable. You prepare your body before you paddle out, ride a board that suits your level, wear the few pieces of gear that matter, read the beach before you enter, and learn from an instructor who watches you the whole session. Below is how each of those works in practice, with the details beginners usually miss.

TL;DR

• The most common cause of blunt trauma in surfing is impact from a surfboard, so a leash, a larger-volume board and good etiquette matter more than any gadget (AOSSM).
• Warm up on land for 10 to 15 minutes and keep warm afterward. Cold, tired muscles are where overuse injuries start.
• Check conditions, enter the water feet first, and ask a lifeguard about hazards and rip currents before you paddle out.
• If you are caught in a rip current, stay calm, float, call for help, and swim parallel to shore.
• A lesson with a professional instructor is the fastest way to build safe habits on your first day.

Table of Contents

• What actually hurts surfers
• Prepare your body before you get wet
• Choose the right board and leash
• Wear what protects you
• How to prevent surf rash
• Read the beach before you enter
• Paddle and ride with good technique
• If you get into trouble in the water
• Keeping children safe
• Our perspective
• Why a lesson is the safest way to start
• Quick checklist before you paddle out
• FAQ
• Sources

What actually hurts surfers

Surfing has a good safety record, and Sports Medicine Australia describes it as a safe sport when you prepare well, use sound technique and the correct equipment, and manage injuries properly (Sports Medicine Australia). But the injuries it does produce follow clear patterns.

According to the same fact sheet, the usual list includes lacerations, sprains, dislocations, fractures, swimmer’s ear and surfer’s ear. Leg injuries are the most frequent, followed by head and facial injuries. The American Orthopaedic Society for Sports Medicine adds that surfboard impact is the most common cause of blunt trauma, and that chronic problems usually come from overuse and poor paddling or riding technique: shoulders, lower back and ears (AOSSM).

For a beginner, that translates into three realistic risks:

1. Getting hit by your own board or someone else’s. It happens in the whitewater, where beginners spend most of their time.
2. Tired arms and a sore back. Paddling is the real workout, and fatigue makes everything else less safe.
3. Conditions you cannot read yet. Shallow bottoms, rocks, currents and crowds.

Every section below addresses one of these.

Prepare your body before you get wet

AOSSM’s guidance is blunt: with proper physical preparation, suitable equipment and common sense, many surfing injuries can be avoided (AOSSM). Preparation has two parts, the warm-up on the day and the conditioning behind it.

A warm-up that fits a beach morning

The AOSSM summary cites a land-based warm-up of 12 to 15 minutes covering mobility, reactive strength, elastic strength and mechanical power, followed by passive heat retention, such as wrapping up in a survival blanket. A 2024 study of surfers reached a similar conclusion: an active land warm-up combined with keeping the heat in can help surfers stay warm and may lower injury risk (MDPI Sports).

You do not need a lab protocol. A simple version before a lesson:

• Arm circles and thoracic rotations to open shoulders and upper back.
• Hip hinges and bodyweight squats for the legs you will use in the pop-up.
• Lunges with a twist, then a few controlled burpee-style pop-ups on the sand.
• A quick jog or skipping to get your heart rate up.

After that, keep a towel or jacket on until you walk into the water, rather than sitting around cooling off.

Condition for what surfing demands

Surfing mixes paddling endurance, shoulder stability, core strength and balance. If you have a few weeks before a trip, our guides on cross training for surfers and a 20 to 30 minute surf balance workout show what to build. Swimming, yoga and core work all carry over well.

If your lower back already complains, take that seriously before you travel. Our four-stage return plan for lower back pain explains how to ease back in, and a physician or physical therapist should clear anything that is sharp, numb or lasting.

Choose the right board and leash

The wrong board is a quiet cause of injuries. AOSSM advises beginners and poorly conditioned surfers to use larger-volume boards, such as longboards or fun shapes, because the extra buoyancy reduces how hard you have to paddle and so prevents fatigue-related injuries (AOSSM).

That is why a thin, short performance board is a bad first purchase. It is harder to paddle, harder to balance, and tends to nose-dive, which is how people get hit. If you are unsure whether to rent or take the board that comes with a lesson, our rent versus lesson board guide walks through it. For children, the kids’ surfboard guide covers sizes and shapes.

Always wear a leash

AOSSM lists the leash as a way to prevent surfboard impact injuries, and recommends one at least as long as your board. A leash keeps the board near you instead of washing into other people. Check the cuff and cord before every session. A frayed cord or a worn velcro strap is a reason to swap it.

There is a flip side: a leash also ties you to a board that can swing back at you. When you fall, protect your head with your arms and surface slowly, with a hand overhead, before you look for the board.

Wear what protects you

Gear choice depends on water temperature and sun, and AOSSM’s guidance is straightforward (AOSSM):

• Wetsuit or other suit matched to the water. Cold muscles tire and cramp sooner. Sports Medicine Australia also notes that suits give buoyancy, sun protection and some protection from the seabed (Sports Medicine Australia).
• Rash guard. It protects against sun and friction from the board.
• SPF 30 sunscreen. Reapply, especially on shoulders and the back of the neck, where paddling keeps you exposed.
• Earplugs. Repeated cold water and wind exposure can lead to surfer’s ear, an ear canal narrowing, and earplugs can help prevent infections and related damage.

In warm tropical water, such as Waikiki, a rash guard and sunscreen do most of the work. A helmet is not standard for beginners at gentle breaks, though research on action sports in general shows protective gear can reduce risk, which is why some surfers choose one at crowded or shallow spots (Reiber et al., 2022).

How to prevent surf rash

Surf rash is chafing: wet fabric or bare skin rubbing on a waxed deck, over and over, in salt water. It shows up on the chest, stomach, inner thighs, armpits and knees. It rarely stops a session, but it can turn a three-day trip into a sore one.

What helps in practice:

• Wear a snug rash guard that does not ride up or bunch. Loose fabric chafes more than tight fabric.
• Choose boardshorts that fit, with no rough seams, or wear a rash guard long enough to cover your stomach.
• Rinse off with fresh water after surfing, and let the skin dry.
• If the skin is broken, clean it gently and cover it. See a doctor if it becomes increasingly red, swollen, hot or painful, since open skin in the ocean can get infected.

At our school the board is provided and the surface is already waxed for beginners, so wearing a rash guard is the one thing we ask you to bring.

Read the beach before you enter

AOSSM advises checking weather, currents, tides and swell direction before every session, and asking locals or the water patrol about unfamiliar breaks and hazards such as rocks, reefs or jetties (AOSSM). The habit sounds obvious and is the one most visitors skip.

A simple pre-surf routine:

1. Look at the break for five minutes before you touch the water. Watch where waves peel, where people paddle out and where they get pushed.
2. Find the lifeguard tower and ask what is different today.
3. Note rocks, reef, other swimmers and any channel of darker, choppier water moving seaward.
4. Pick a spot away from crowds that suits your level.

Enter feet first

The United States Lifesaving Association advises that, to prevent spinal injuries, you enter the water feet first, check the depth and obstructions before you do, and always extend your arms ahead of your body when riding a wave (USLA). That last point protects your head and neck if the wave drives you into the bottom. Keep your hands up when you wipe out too.

Etiquette is safety

Surf etiquette exists to prevent collisions. Traditionally the surfer closest to the breaking part of the wave, the inside, has priority, and everyone else should pull out of the way (AOSSM). For beginners, that means:

• Do not paddle straight at someone who is already standing.
• Never drop in on a wave someone else is riding.
• If you fall in front of a surfer, go under and cover your head, do not throw the board.
• Hold your board when you duck a wave. Never let it go toward people behind you.

Paddle and ride with good technique

Chronic shoulder and back pain are almost always technique problems that were never corrected. Two habits are worth building from your first session. First, learn to paddle in clean phases instead of windmilling; our paddling technique guide breaks the stroke into four. Second, learn surf shoulder awareness, so you stop shrugging and overreaching. A small fix in arm positioning also removes many beginner problems.

Fatigue is the multiplier. Tired surfers paddle badly, fall awkwardly and misjudge waves. Rest between sets, hydrate, and end the session while you still feel decent, not when you are shaking. AOSSM recommends parents encourage rest and rehydration for children for the same reason (AOSSM).

If you get into trouble in the water

Most emergencies for beginners are one of three things: a rip current, exhaustion, or a blow from a board.

Rip current. NOAA’s guidance is to stay calm: a rip will pull you away from shore, not under. Float, call and wave for help, and do not try to swim straight back against it. Swim parallel to the beach until you leave the current, then angle back in alongside the breaking waves (NOAA). With a surfboard, you have an advantage: lie on it and paddle sideways out of the channel.

Exhaustion. Get on the board, lie flat and rest, and signal for help by waving an arm. A board floats; you do not need to finish the paddle in.

An impact. Get out of the water as soon as you can. Get checked by a lifeguard or a doctor after any blow to the head, loss of consciousness, neck pain, numbness, a deep cut, or pain that stops you from putting weight on a limb. Call 911 for anything serious.

Whoever is with you should not swim out to a struggling person unless they are trained. NOAA’s source notes that would-be rescuers often end up in trouble themselves, and recommends throwing something that floats and letting a lifeguard do the rescue (NOAA).

Keeping children safe

Kids can learn to surf early, but supervision does the heavy lifting. AOSSM tells parents to keep children out of surf beyond their ability, judge their swimming skill and comfort in the water, and teach proper paddling technique (AOSSM). USLA says learning to swim is the best insurance against drowning, and formal swim lessons significantly reduce the likelihood of childhood drowning (USLA).

Before booking, ask whether your child is comfortable with their face in the water and with a wave breaking over them. Our parent’s guide to supervising children at the surf beach covers what to watch from the sand, and our kids’ surf lessons are built around small steps in calm Waikiki whitewater.

Our perspective

We have taught surfing at Waikiki for over 30 years, and the same pattern repeats. Beginners rarely get hurt from big waves. They get hurt because they are tired, on the wrong board, in the wrong spot, or nobody has told them what to do when they fall.

That is why our lessons put safety before the standing-up part. The board is chosen for your size and level, the equipment is included, and a professional instructor stays close to you in the water. We would rather you catch fewer waves and enjoy the day than ride one and leave sore.

A few things we say to every new surfer:

• Protect your head first, every time you fall.
• Hold your board, never throw it.
• Rest early. Do not wait until you are exhausted.
• Ask if you are unsure. Nobody on our beach minds the question.

— Johann

Why a lesson is the safest way to start

Teaching yourself on a rental board at a crowded break combines every risk covered above: no technique, no conditions knowledge and no one watching. A lesson gives you an instructor who reads the break, chooses the spot and corrects habits before they set. The AOSSM summary names surf instruction among the ways to prevent injury, alongside proper equipment and fitness.

If you want to compare what a good school looks like, our beginner’s playbook for choosing a Waikiki surf school lists the questions to ask.

Our lessons and pricing

Our Waikiki surf lessons are priced per person: group lessons are $100, semi-private lessons are $150, private lessons are $180, and Surf with a Pro is $400. If you want more time to build skills safely, the 3 and 5 day guided packages cost $472 and $744. On the North Shore, group surf lessons start at $95 and private lessons from $145. Prefer to start on a bigger platform? Stand-up paddle lessons are available too.

Once you have a few lessons behind you, you can rent a board in Waikiki for $60 per day.

Quick checklist before you paddle out

FAQ

What is the most common surfing injury?

Leg injuries are the most frequent, followed by head and facial injuries, according to Sports Medicine Australia (source). Cuts, sprains and impact injuries from boards are typical. Overuse problems in the shoulders and lower back are the usual long-term issues.

How can I stay safe surfing as a beginner?

Take a lesson, use a large-volume board with a leash, and surf where lifeguards are present. Warm up on land, rest before you are tired, and keep your arms up when you fall. Ask a lifeguard about the day’s conditions before you enter.

Do I need a helmet or earplugs?

Not as a rule at gentle beginner breaks, but earplugs are worth it if you surf often, since AOSSM says they can help prevent ear infections and canal narrowing. Helmets are a personal choice at shallow or crowded spots. Ask your instructor which fits the day.

What should I do if I am caught in a rip current?

Stay calm, float, and call or wave for help. Swim parallel to the shore to leave the current, then angle back to the beach with the breaking waves (NOAA). On a board, paddle sideways out of the channel.

Sources

• Preventing Surfing Injuries, AOSSM
• Surfing Fact Sheet, Sports Medicine Australia
• USLA’s Top Ten Beach and Water Safety Tips
• Rip Current Survival Guide, NOAA
• Heat Attainment and Retention in Surfers, MDPI Sports
• Epidemiology of Acute Injuries in Surfing, PMC

Recommended

• How to Surf – Surf Lessons in Waikiki, Oahu
• Outdoor Adventure Surfing Explained for Beginners
• Supervising Children at the Surf Beach: A Parent’s Guide
• Surfing with Glasses: Your Safe Vision Correction Guide